Generative AI (GenAI) is expected to play a key role in augmenting the software workforce, assisting in more than 25 per cent of software design, development, and testing work in the next two years. According to the Capgemini Research Institute’s latest report, about 80 per cent of software professionals believe that by automating repetitive tasks, GenAI tools and solutions will significantly transform their function, freeing up time to focus on higher-value-adding tasks. More than three-quarters of software professionals are confident GenAI has the potential to boost collaboration with non-technical business teams, says the report.

The Capgemini Research Institute surveyed 1,098 senior executives—directors and above—and 1,092 software professionals—architects, developers, testers, and project managers, among others. Twenty in-depth interviews were conducted with industry leaders, partners, and startups, along with several software professionals.

While the GenAI adoption for software engineering is in its early stages, with 9 in 10 organisations yet to scale, the report found that organisations with active GenAI initiatives are already reaping multiple benefits from its adoption. Sixty-one per cent of the organisations surveyed reported they had fostered innovation, while 49 per cent reported an improvement in software quality. They also witnessed an improvement of about 7 to 18 percent on an average in the productivity of their software engineering functions. The report stated that time-saving was as high as 35 per cent for certain specialised tasks.

“GenAI is revolutionising software engineering through automation and simplification, with large language models (LLMs) playing a crucial role. This enables deep-learning algorithms to generate and enhance software efficiently. This transformative technology is now integral to tech stacks, unlocking new features and updates,” Ashwin Yardi, CEO – India, Capgemini, told businessline.

He added that GenAI is helping the workforce spearhead value creation for clients at speed by enabling teams to focus on higher-value activities and improving collaboration across business functions. In addition to boosting efficiency, GenAI is positively impacting strategic initiatives across different industries.

According to the report, GenAI improves the connection between software engineers and other business teams. Seventy-eight per cent of software professionals are optimistic about GenAI’s potential to enhance collaboration.

The survey also stated that 46 per cent of software engineers use GenAI tools to assist them with tasks. Almost three-quarters agreed that GenAI’s potential extends beyond writing code with applications in other software development lifecycle activities like code modernisation or user experience (UX) design.

However, according to the report, 63 per cent of software professionals use unauthorised GenAI tools to assist them in tasks. This rapid take-up, without proper governance and oversight in place, is likely to expose organisations to functional, security, and legal risks like hallucinated code, code leakage, and IP issues.

Pierre-Yves Glever, Head of Global Cloud & Custom Applications at Capgemini, said: “GenAI’s impact on coding efficiency and quality is measurable and proven, yet it holds promise for other software activities. However, we must remember that the true value will emerge from a holistic software engineering approach, beyond deploying a single ‘new’ tool. This involves addressing business needs with robust and relevant design, establishing comprehensive developer workspaces and assistants, implementing quality and security gates, and setting up effective software teams. The focus should be on what genuinely generates value.”

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